When ancient instruments and Baroque sounds meet modern technology
World premiere of live concert with use of epigonion reconstructed over high-speed networks
Friday 19 December 2008, Cambridge, UK: The stunning venue of the ‘Sala degli Angeli’ at San Orsola Benicasa in Naples, Italy recently offered enthusiasts of Baroque music a unique concert experience: on 14 December 2008 it saw the performance of Czech composer Jan Dismas Zelenka’s Psalm “Laetatus sum” by the Sonora Network Ensemble enriched with the digitally reconstructed sounds of the epigonion, a harp-like instrument from Ancient Greece. It was the first time ever that an instrument of the past reconstructed via compute-intensive modelling performed alongside real instruments such as violins and flutes as well as voices. A world premiere that clearly showcased the immense potential for creativity when two worlds come together: art/music on the one side and science/technology on the other. With their huge computing power essential for the sound modelling, high-speed networks such as GÉANT2 and EUMEDCONNECT act as the facilitator for this creative union.
Promoted as a concert produced in the ‘listening laboratory’ the performance aimed at paving the way for innovative musical research which enables a wide range of scientists, such as archaeologists, network engineers and computer experts to collaborate with artists to revive lost sounds of the past in real concerts. “This is an exciting moment in my career”, said Francesco De Mattia, professor at the Conservatory of Music of Parma, Director of the Conservatory of Music of Salerno and Artistic Co-ordinator of the ASTRA (Ancient instruments Sound/Timbre Reconstruction Application) project. “It was already a major achievement to reconstruct the sounds thanks to advanced networks and grid computing, but being able to make them part of a real concert is just fantastic!”
Click here to watch excerpts of the concert
Read more about the reconstruction of the sounds of the epigonion by clicking here.
For further information please contact:
Helen Martindale
DANTE
Direct: +44 (0)1223 371 328
Mobile: +44 (0)7823 538090
